


Where Do We Go From Here?

by thepoeticflower



Series: It All Started With a Fake Date [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Boyfriends, Camille is an awful person but we all know that, Date Nights at the loft, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 18:58:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12195744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepoeticflower/pseuds/thepoeticflower
Summary: Alec, along with the assistance of Aline Penhallow, accidentally uncovers a part of Magnus’s past right before a date with Magnus. A wee bit of angst ensues (not really due to the discovery, by the way) and a ton of fluff to make it all better.





	Where Do We Go From Here?

Alec mindlessly nibbled on strawberries while reading Magnus’s texts he’d missed while in class teaching. The teachers’ lounge was filled to capacity at lunchtime and Alec tried to refrain from smiling like a giddy fool. He failed miserably, but everyone seemed too preoccupied with their own phones and lunches to notice. Every message was more ridiculous than the prior and it became apparent to Alec that Magnus was losing his mind at work today. 

_‘No court appearances, no pressing meetings with clients. Just a bunch of paperwork.’_ Magnus attached a picture of himself pouting while sitting at his desk, surrounded by stacks of paperwork. 

An unconscious flick of his tongue across his lips preceded a hard swallow as he tried to prevent a moan from becoming dislodged in his throat. It boggled his mind daily that such a beautiful man held such a strong interest in him. Alec thought of himself to be plain and not attractive enough to sway the likes of Magnus Bane. 

“Lightwood, what’re you grinning about?” Aline Penhallow slid into the empty seat beside him, playfully trying to catch a glimpse of his phone screen. He slid the phone into his pocket, half-written reply to Magnus forgotten in order to spare his privacy. 

“N-nothing.” He offered a forced smile, which earned him a cocked eyebrow from his colleague. 

“Uh huh. Haven’t seen you smile like that in a while in the teachers’ lounge, it looks good on you.” 

With a scowl, he shook his head, but it lacked any heat. Aline remained one of his closest work friends throughout the years, especially during those trying times with Raj. 

“Isabelle tells me you’ve found a new man.” Her voice was singsong in nature before she bit into her apple. “He better be treating you right, or I have a list of people who will beat him into a bloodied pulp.” 

Alec chuckled warmly, “I doubt your wife would appreciate bailing you out of jail on my account.” 

“Helen’d be right beside me in the cell.” 

Amused, Alec took his phone back out and scrolled through his growing collection of selfies from Magnus and chose one of his favorites to show her. “His name is Magnus Bane.” 

Aline cocked her head, a thoughtful look on her face. “I do believe I’ve heard of him before.” She stayed quiet for a moment until her eyes widened. “Do you remember that awful woman, Camille Belcourt? She was briefly apart of the board of education before quietly ‘stepping down’ a year or two ago.” 

He nodded, thinking back to the rather vocal woman who, in his opinion, didn’t have anyone’s best interests at heart but her own. “What does she have to do with Magnus looking familiar?” 

“I’m pretty sure they were item around that time.” 

With a visible wince, Alec frowned, pondering this new information. He felt wrong to draw conclusions about what Magnus said before about bad relationships, but he hardly thought a relationship with that woman would go swimmingly.

“He seems to have a kink for educators.” Aline nudged Alec in the side. Alec knew it was her attempt at trying to cut through the sudden, serious mood, but it didn’t work. It didn’t get the slightest rise out of him. Guilt started to pool in his stomach, oddly enough, as he likely had discovered something Magnus hadn’t wanted him to know yet. 

Alec’s phone buzzed on the table and it was from Magnus. 

_‘Were you available for dinner tonight? I thought I might draw you out of hiding with the promise of food.’_

Picking up the phone, Alec deleted what he had started writing before and began fresh. He apologized for not responding sooner and mentioned he was available that evening. 

_‘Wonderful. We can go out or I can cook something?’_

_‘You’ve been working hard all week. I have texts as proof. We can just go out. You should relax, not worry about cooking.’_

_‘I appreciate the concern, Alexander. But I find cooking to be very relaxing. However, if you’d prefer to go out, we can most certainly do that.’_

Alec had no time to consider the options as the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. _’Lunch is over. Can we decide when I have my planning period in a couple of hours?’_ Magnus sent over a thumbs up emoji before Alec hastily shoved his phone into his pocket and tidied up where he was eating before booking it to his classroom. 

His kids distracted him from his thoughts. Every year, he swore he loved his class more than the previous year and it always felt that way. They delayed their spelling test by asking question after question about things that had absolutely nothing to do with language arts. Alec humored them, answering their questions about space and animals and whatever else came to their inquiring little minds.

”Alright, alright, you kids, enough questions. It is time for our spelling test.” He chuckled warmly as his declaration was met with groans and pleas. 

“But Mr. Lightwood, it’s Friday! Can’t we have our spelling test Monday?” A boy named Chris, who vastly reminded him of his much younger brother, piped up from the back of the classroom. Max was a few years older than these kids, but he had the same type of fiery conviction. 

“Our spelling tests are always on Fridays. And we always get new words on Monday.” One of the quieter girls, Madzie, spoke up and Alec smiled at her kindly. 

”You’re just a suck up!” 

”Hey, hey. What did I say about saying things like that?” Alec’s voice got a tiny bit louder than usual. “We want to treat people how we want others to treat us.” After a few long strides, Alec kneeled down beside Chris’s desk. He looked him straight in the eyes, “How would you feel if someone called you that?” 

Chris looked down, shrugging. Alec saw the blush creeping into the boy’s cheeks as he continued to stare at his desk, his features indicating all sorts of discomfort. 

Alec sighed and got to his feet. “We don’t call names here. Everyone get their paper and pencils out. Time for the test.” 

The tension remained as Alec called out words for the kids to write down. After the last word was given out and all of the papers were collected, he walked his class down to gymnasium for their P.E. class before slumping down a bit on his way back to the classroom. Being stern was occasionally necessary, but Alec didn’t enjoy doing it. 

He started his planning period, writing some notes on activities they could do the following week to focus on being nicer to one another. With a soft sigh, he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and texted Magnus back. 

_’Dinner at your place sounds good. Shall I bring some wine?’_

_’Just bring yourself and your appetite.’_

_’You’re sure?’_

_’Positive. I’ll see you this evening.’_

—

Alec decided he couldn’t go to Magnus’s empty-handed, so he stopped in a bakery near his apartment on his way to the subway station. He grabbed some profiteroles, remembering Magnus having brought them up once during a conversation they had the previous week. With a pastry box in hand, he headed down into the subway in order to grab a train out to Brooklyn. 

It didn’t surprise Alec that Magnus lived out in Brooklyn. It suited his style. Popping in his earbuds, Alec went into his own world, blocking out the nonsense in his subway car. A warm smile captured his lips at just the thought of seeing Magnus that night. Despite all of the things he may have uncovered earlier, despite the declining mood in his classroom toward the end of the day, Alec couldn’t help but feel excited. It’d be the first time that they’d meet up in a private location, away from the prying eyes of the public. That thought sent a nervous jitter up his spine. 

Being alone with Magnus in the privacy of his loft had caused his hesitance earlier. A restaurant or a bar disallowed the possibility of any intimate acts beyond holding hands or kissing. And it wasn’t as if Alec hadn’t thought of doing those things with Magnus, because his recent dreams definitely said otherwise, but… 

Alec sighed. Only his insecurities and worries halted that train of thought. Stopped him from considering that they were well-suited for one another, good for one another. 

The subway train shuddered to a stop and Alec glanced up, realizing it was already his stop. Pushing his way to the door, he shielded the box in his hands from harm as he set foot onto the platform. His thoughts quieted for now. They’d be back, they always came back. But he turned his focus to locating Magnus’s loft and spending an evening with him. 

Magnus’s suggested directions to the loft were easy enough to follow. Alec didn’t often find himself in Brooklyn as his parents always had the most negative opinions of any part of New York City outside of Manhattan. In recent years, he ventured out there for a concert or to go to a bar with either Izzy or Jace, but his familiarity with the borough was limited. Magnus’s building was beautiful, unlike anything that you’d find in Manhattan and it made him appreciate it more. With a long, shaky breath, his hand wrapped around the handle and he pulled the door open before heading inside. 

Taking the stairs to the top perhaps wasn’t the brightest idea, but it allowed him a longer period to settle the nerves in his stomach. To stop the butterflies from swarming around. Sure, being alone with Magnus was different than texting day after day or having a few drinks at a bar or grabbing ice cream, but the rest of the world always blurred away anyway. They could have been alone for how much Alec paid attention to anyone but Magnus in those cases. 

Finally reaching the top, Alec stepped into the hallway and was immediately taken back by the sound of shouting. As he walked down the hallway, toward the door that should be Magnus’s, the shouting voices became clearer. One of which was definitely Magnus’s. Alec shifted his weight from foot to foot, knowing it would be rude to knock while Magnus was arguing with someone. He stood near the door, not necessarily paying any attention to the words being said. The door wrenched open and Camille Belcourt stormed past him, not even paying him a glance. Magnus came to the door, ready to slam it closed when his eyes fell on Alec. 

The smile he offered Alec was strained and tight, words he generally didn’t use to describe any flicker of emotion from Magnus. 

”How much did you hear?” 

”I just walked up. And I didn’t really try to follow anything that was said to respect your privacy.” 

Magnus laughed humorlessly, his eyes still a touch cold. “You’re a better person than my nosy neighbors.” 

”Magnus, I’m assuming this is a bad time now. We can postpone.” 

”Nonsense, Alexander. If you aren’t oppose to a sudden change of plans with dinner and a slightly frustrated version of yours truly, I would still very much like to spend my evening with you.” 

”What do you have in mind for dinner?” 

That brought a small smile to Magnus’s lips, “Take out?” 

”Pizza is my favorite food, you know.” 

”Why am I not surprised?” The tension in Magnus’s frame melted a little more as he laughed warmly and took the pastry box from Alec’s hands. He gestured for Alec to come in before heading backed inside. Magnus waited for him to step inside before closing the door. 

Magnus led him to the living area as Alec appreciated the warm and inviting decor. It was the exact opposite of Alec’s place which felt sterile and boring in comparison. Not that he minded that type of thing. Alec preferred simplistic; it was easier to maintain. 

”Profiteroles. You remembered.” Alec’s attention returned to Magnus, who was peeking inside the pastry box. 

”Of course, I remembered.” Alec grinned before taking a seat on the couch. He wanted to keep things light and easy for Magnus to keep him from thinking about whatever had just transpired. 

They managed to avoid the topic through ordering the pizza (which consisted of an argument on toppings, of course) and then through one round of drinks while waiting for the pizza to arrive. The conversation died down and Magnus went abnormally quiet and still, a distant look in his eyes as he stared off into a relatively vacant corner of his living room. 

Alec sighed before placing a comforting hand on his knee, “Do you want to talk about it?” 

”She was my Raj, for lack of better words. Because to describe Camille is to tumble down into a rabbit hole and I’m sure you understand the ramifications of that. Nothing about her makes sense, nothing ever did, but when you fall for someone like her, you ignore the signs of warning.” He sighed wearily, taking a sip from his glass before his eyes became affixed to the perfectly cubic pieces of ice swirling around in the liquor. “She cheated time and time again and I always took her back. I believed I deserved no better than someone who didn’t love me as much as I loved them. It had always been a reality for me.” 

A wistful smile took hold of Magnus’s lips. “I have never had anyone reciprocate love as fully as I have given. Never. So I stayed with her through many bouts of infidelity until she had to step down from her position on a school board in Manhattan for sleeping with the president of the school board. I realized then that I deserved better. Or I deserved to be alone. Whichever happened would be most certainly better than staying with her.” He looked up, his eyes locking with Alec’s. “I shut my heart off to anyone, man or woman, since that time. Until now. Until you. I spotted you in that bar and felt some stir within me. I never thought I’d feel anything like that again.” 

Alec took hold of his hand, “I know what you mean.” His voice was low, a mumble in nature. And he truly knew what he meant. Magnus was far more eloquent with his words, able to put all of the feelings Alec experienced into cohesive sentences. 

”I’m sorry if all of this has been weird to hear about.” 

Alec shook his head, squeezing his hand, “It’s not weird. Say what you think.” 

Magnus went to say something else, but a knock came at the door. “That’s probably the pizza.” He got off of the couch, seemingly reluctant to let go of Alec’s hand before heading to the door and coming back a moment later with their food in hand. 

”Typically, I’m not fond of having a dinner date in the living room, but I think we can make an exception this time.” He went off to the kitchen and returned with plates, handing one to Alec. The conversation fell off again, replaced with a sparse word in between quiet chewing. Alec contemplated what he could say to let Magnus know he’d never treat him like others in his life had. But words never came easy when it came to feelings and emotions, especially not when they transcended beyond familial or platonic bonds. He mulled over the words in his mind, humming agreeably to something Magnus mentioned about the pizza. Alec found himself falling faster and harder for Magnus with every passing day and while it wasn’t quite love, it felt like it could and eventually would blossom into that some day. They weren’t even officially together yet. 

”I think we should... well... make things official.” Alec blinked at his own suggestion, not having realized that’s what was truly in his heart at that time. But it made sense. Magnus was his first thought in the morning and his last thought at night. A text from Magnus made his heart uncontrollably hammer away, incomparable to anything he’d ever experienced in his life. 

Magnus looked momentarily stunned before he buried it down with a delighted smile. The brief shock hurt Alec’s heart. He knew it stemmed from how people had mistreated Magnus. He wanted to take all of the pain away. Every single bit of it until Magnus realized he was meant to be cherished. 

”Are you suggesting you want to be my boyfriend?” 

Alec offered a smile that was most likely borderline dopey as he nodded. Magnus moved in close and pressed a kiss to Alec’s lips, which sent all of his nerves into a frenzy. Alec tugged on the lapels of the jacket Magnus was still wearing, pulling him deeper into the kiss. It surpassed being chaste as he pulled Magnus’s lip into his mouth, causing a soft moan out of Magnus. When he broke the kiss for air, Magnus chased after his lips, capturing them despite the breathless they both felt. The kiss lasted for what seemed forever, but Alec felt entirely insatiable now that he had his first taste. With Magnus’s hands tangled up in his hair and with his own hands having somehow untucked Magnus’s shirt and now gliding up the toned abdominal muscles underneath, he choked out a breath as they rested their foreheads together. 

”You don’t exactly err on the side of caution, do you, Alexander?” Magnus laughed, a soft and breathy sound that made Alec’s heart skip a beat. Alec’s hands slowly slipped from underneath his shirt, as if to memorize inch of the hidden skin. 

A blush deepened in his cheeks as his actions and Magnus’s words sunk in slowly, “Uh, I usually do?” It caused another bubble of laughter from Magnus, earning Alec a soft kiss on the lips. 

”There’s hardly any fun in being entirely cautious.” He winked before standing up and removing his jacket and smoothing down his button up. “Those profiteroles are singing to me. It might be time for dessert and coffee. Sound good?” 

Alec leaned back into the couch, smiling and nodding. There wasn’t much at this point that he wouldn’t agree to as long as it meant being beside Magnus for a longer amount of time. They settled into the couch when Magnus returned, curled up in one another and remained like for the rest of the evening.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on tumblr.
> 
> Sorry about the delay between this fic and the last. Real life got in the way.


End file.
